ABC Radio National has picked up two Gold World Medals at this year’s New York Festivals from a worldwide field of stations.

The 2004 International Radio Programming and Promotion Awards received over almost 500 entries from 18 countries.

RN’s ‘Radio Eye’ program has scored a Gold World Medal for ‘The Asylum Seekers’, winning in the Human Relations category. The program was written and narrated by Linda Neill, who co-produced with RN’s Walkley Award winner, Sharon Davis.

‘The Spirit of Things’ program has also won a Gold World Medal for ‘The Monk & The Modern Girl’ in the Religious category. This is presenter, Rachael Kohn and producer, Geoff Wood’s second medal, after taking out the same prize in 2002.

Kohn and Wood have also received a Finalist Certificate for a program from their ‘Spiritually Incorrect’ series.

Radio National has picked up several other awards in New York: Claudia Taranto has won a Silver World Medal in the Social Issues/Current Events category for her ‘Street Stories’ program, ‘Now She’s Just Singing’ about Australia’s Bosnian Women’s Choir. Mark Horstman has received a Finalist Certificate in the Health/Medical category for his Health Report, ‘Meningococcal: A Survivor’s Tale’. Lynne Malcolm has received a Finalist Certificate in Science & Technology for ‘Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA’, broadcast on ‘The Science Show’. And, RN’s ‘The Night Air’ program has received a Finalist Certificate in the History Category for ‘Bad Roads.